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Published on: June 11, 2012
Patients' concerns about medical errors during hospitalization
Thomas E Burroughs1, Amy D Waterman, Thomas H Gallagher
1Center for Outcome Research, St. Louis University, USA. burroute@slu.edu
Background:
A clear understanding of patients' understanding and perceived risk of medical errors is needed. Multiwave telephone interviews were conducted in 2002 with 1,656 inpatients from 12 Midwestern hospitals regarding patients' conceptualization of medical errors and perceived risk of seven types of medical errors.
Results:
Patients defined medical errors to include not only clinical mistakes but also falls, communication problems, and responsiveness. Ninety-four percent of respondents reported their medical safety as good, very good, or excellent, but 39% experienced at least one error-related concern, most commonly medication errors (17% of respondents), nursing mistakes (15%), and problems with medical equipment (10%). Frequency of concerns was associated with reduced willingness to recommend the hospital (p < .001).
Discussion:
If patients' definition of medical errors is broader than the traditional medical definition, providers should clarify the term "error" to ensure effective communication. Most patients felt a high level of medical safety but a sizeable proportion experienced a concern about an error during hospitalization. The selective nature of concerns and the impact of patient and hospital characteristics provide insight into ways to engage patients in error prevention programs.
Insights
Patients often have a broader definition of medical errors than healthcare providers, encompassing issues like falls and communication. Despite high perceived safety, many patients report concerns, impacting their willingness to recommend a hospital.
Area of Science:
- Patient Safety
- Healthcare Quality
- Medical Error Analysis
Background:
- Understanding patient perceptions of medical errors is crucial for improving healthcare.
- Previous research highlights a need to explore patients' conceptualization and perceived risks of medical errors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate patients' definitions and perceived risks of various medical errors.
- To assess the relationship between patient-reported concerns and hospital recommendations.
Main Methods:
- Conducted multiwave telephone interviews with 1,656 inpatients from 12 Midwestern hospitals in 2002.
- Collected data on patients' understanding of medical errors and their perceived risk of seven specific error types.
Main Results:
- Patients' definition of medical errors included clinical mistakes, falls, communication issues, and responsiveness.
- While 94% reported good to excellent medical safety, 39% experienced at least one error-related concern.
- Medication errors (17%), nursing mistakes (15%), and equipment problems (10%) were the most common concerns, associated with reduced hospital recommendation.
Conclusions:
- Healthcare providers should clarify the term "error" due to patients' broader definitions.
- A significant proportion of patients experience error-related concerns, despite overall high perceived safety.
- Patient and hospital characteristics influence concerns, offering insights for patient engagement in error prevention programs.
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